The Impossible Odds
by Thinkykaleidoscope
Summary: The odds of them being reunited after a year was seemingly impossible- but it happened. Their lives start to feel like a guessing game, never knowing what's right and what's wrong. Their future depends on one promise and one skirmish. The sequel to "A Small Universe". Rated T for adult language, violence, and there will probably be some adult themes in there.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All content is owned by Nintendo, Microsoft, and 343 Industries. The only thing I own is the plot to this fan fiction!**

**Whew! It feels good to be back! I am so very sorry for the long wait, but I didn't have Internet access for the past few days. If you private messaged me or left a lovely little comment on the last story, I will respond as soon as possible. Obviously, with a continuation of "A Small Universe", Samus is not dead. Yay for the hero not being dead!**

Space… such a small word used to name such a vast place. No matter how many times I traversed it, it has more secrets to expose, some of which I would have been better off not knowing. For instance, the UNSC, their war against this 'Covenant', and their Spartan, John, commonly known as the Master Chief.

Of all the people I've met in this infinite universe, he is the one that bothers me the most. I still wonder what he was doing over in Tallon IV, where we first met. His story was quite captivating, and I feel as though I can empathize with him through some strange means. What pesters me most about the Master Chief is that I'm not sure if I'll ever see him again.

It has been four months and twenty-two days since I woke up from my seven-month sleep. Four months seems like an eternity when you can barely move without constant aching and you can't vocalize your pain because your voice has returned to a premature state. It often felt like a living hell, but I was just glad to know that I was alive and could recuperate.

"Adam," I finally thought to ask. "When do we arrive at our designated location?"

"In two minutes and forty-seven seconds."

"We are here already?"

"Yes. You spent a lot of time daydreaming, an efficient way to waste time."

"For the record, I wasn't dreaming. You know I don't concern myself with such useless activities."

"You have before, so do not act like you are above common behavior."

"What is the name of this planet?"

"As far as I know, it doesn't have a name."

"Thank you." I sighed. If Adam weren't such a great friend, I would not put up with his lacking answers with little to no description.

I stared out the neon green window, noticing something very peculiar. "Adam, please identify who that vessel belongs to."

"It certainly isn't one of ours." He said whilst waiting for the results.

"Why the hell would our ship be so far away from our territory?" I replied aggressively. It wasn't as if I intended to be so coarse, it was just reflexive considering my lack of sleep made me irritable.

"I was filling the silence, but if you insist on only the results, then I shall do as I am told. That would be the _UNSC Forward Unto Dawn_, a Charon-class light frigate of superior design. Th-."

"So it isn't likely that they are hostile?"

"Depends on how you present yourself."

"Simple enough." I sighed, not overly enthusiastic.

By now, I would have thought that Adam and the whole Galactic Federation would have realized that I am not good at introducing myself. On various occasions I had failed to do so, ending in a battle to the death or… well, it always ended in brawling. I leaned back and hoped for the best. Maybe, if I were lucky, I would be able to avoid them completely. Since when have I been lucky though?

I landed near the target, a massive base. Why was I here though- Dark Samus had fled to this part of the universe after my last encounter eleven months ago. I wonder if here was more promising for domination of the universe or there was an unknown phazon supply. Whatever it was, I had to stop it, for my own long awaited revenge and for the sake of humanity.

I hopped out of _Hunter II_, my trusty gunship. The first thing I did was scan almost everything. If I didn't know what I was dealing with, then how could I defeat it? It was apparent that Dark Samus had definitely been here, for the structure was drowning in phazon along with its flora. How she had managed to bring this much phazon here, I may never know.

I commenced, following the sounds of what sounded like gunshots. Either it was an incredibly good lead, or I was getting into a situation that I shouldn't. I charged the arm cannon before rounding the corner and blowing the head off an unfamiliar species of extra-terrestrial. Of course, whomever it was shooting at was startled and continued to shoot despite my assistance. The bullets barely did damage to my power suit, but I returned to my spot around the corner before scanning the strange being I had just killed. The creature was of the Sangheili race, apparently what the Covenant consist of.

_ So this is what he's been fighting._

I continued, slaughtering more and more as I progressed. The Space Pirates had given me more problems than some of these creatures. I wasn't exactly sure of where I was heading due to the lack of a map and little to no instructions, so I had to follow the noises made by the enemy, and that wasn't easy at all.

Eventually, I came across a massive group of these 'Covenant' creatures shooting rapidly at a cluster of the UNSC forces. I wasn't going to stand by and watch them be destroyed so I acted quickly and with precision. I took them down with no struggle, so I don't know why the UNSC has apparently been fighting them for years. Maybe I was just stronger than the majority of them. Once I was finished, I took a step back and admired my work. Apparently, they did too, for not a word was said.

In a moment's notice, I was picked up from behind, hoisted over someone's shoulder, and carried off. I was having a more than difficult time escaping their grasp, and I couldn't exactly shoot them either. I wasn't put down until we reached the exterior of the building at a place with several drop ships and numerous soldiers.

"You did a good job out there."

I couldn't help myself. I hugged him to the point where he seemed as if he couldn't breathe. "John… I was certain I would never see you again." I placed my head in the crook of his neck.

"Of all the things to commit to memory, you remember my name." He smiled then shifted some so I didn't have to stand on tiptoe to reach his level. "Are you alright? Do you have any injuries? How are you feeling?"

"I am truly fine. Tell me, why did you carry me here?"

"I didn't want anyone to mistake you for a hostile life form."

"That's sweet of you." I wish that my visor were opaque, for my face was as red as my helmet. "We could have just walked here though."

"But you're adorable when you are angry." He took a step back and examined me.

"Chief, we need to go!" Someone hollered.

"I hope we see each other soon, but until then…"

"Maybe I could assist you."

"This was our last location to take care of this time around, so I high doubt we'll need your help with anything else here."

"What if you could come with me?"

"I can't take leave in case something drastic happens and they need me to handle the situation."

"There are other Spartans to take care of any issues. Besides, if we go straight to the main problem you won't need to deal with any minute problems that arise from her wake."

"You want me to go with you to find Dark Samus, don't you?"

"I wouldn't choose _anyone_ else." I tried to sound as seductive as possible, but I don't know exactly how he would perceive it.

"It isn't just an instantaneous thing Samus."

"I am very aware of that. Just don't keep me waiting for too long."

I walked in the direction of my gunship. I shook my head. It was incredibly hard to do the simple task of enticing someone like him. I felt like my stomach was having a miniature tsunami going on I was so nervous. Even after eleven months, I still got butterflies in my stomach when speaking with him. I was also slightly upset, not being able to determine exactly how he felt. More than that, not being able to tell him how I feel.

Once I entered my gunship, I deactivated the suit and sat in the pilot's seat. I leaned forward, resting my arms on my thighs. I didn't think I appeared being very capricious, but I must have, because Adam noticed it immediately.

"Is something on your mind?"

"He was there… still tall, muscular, and has that incredibly deep voice." I sighed. I could talk about people however I wanted in here, it was _my_ living space.

"I presume you are speaking about the Spartan?"

I nodded. "I don't really know how to describe how I feel." I leaned back and crossed my legs.

"As much as I would love to help you out, I am not a psychologist; therefore I have no clue as to what you are talking about."

"I feel so stupid right now. I've only ever known him for two weeks and I am more than certain that I have an attraction to him."

"It isn't completely absurd to love someone under the circumstances. You have saved his life before, a completely reckless act that was unnecessary."

"Don't say love! I don't know if I technically 'love him' yet, or at all."

"Deny it all you want, but you know how you actually feel."

**Did you like the first person perspective? I wanted to mix it up, see if it is better for the story. I know this chapter is short for a first chapter, but I had to restart. Plus, I already promised you a much longer story than the last (I'm thinking about twenty-five chapter), so the chapters won't be exceedingly long. Feel free to suggest things and don't forget to tell me if you want the story to be written like the last one or like this! Also, do me a favor and click the link below if you like dragons and other mythical beast (it's my best friend's artwork)!**


	2. Chapter 2: Small Talk Isn't Easy

**Disclaimer: All content is owned by Nintendo, Microsoft, and 343 Industries. The only thing I own is the plot to this fan fiction!**

**I forgot to mention that I did make some minor changes to "A Small Universe", so please forgive me for that. As the last, I will do chapters with a more action-filled scene followed by a more dialogue-filled one (I might do two chapters of them depending on how long they end up being). For the first person perspective, I'll do one perspective for two chapters at a time rather than just one, though I may stick with a perspective for only one or three (but they'll mainly be in pairs of two). I also found a time that I can place the story! There is that huge twenty-eight year gap between where the book (the first Halo novel) goes from 2525 to 2552. That is when this takes place just because anything could have happened… just about!**

A week passed before I saw John again. I was relieved that he even agreed to come with me considering that he didn't seem as if he honestly wanted to. I kept thinking that he was doing this as a sort of favor, not that that effected how I felt about it very much.

He sat on the floor, which was unnecessary. He just sat there, his head tilted downward, arms crossed, and silent. I was starting to feel awkward and the lingering silence didn't help. I was more than certain that he had fallen asleep, but I attempted to start a conversation nonetheless.

"What have you been up to?"

"Once you went into a coma, Dark Samus fled to other parts of the universe, destroying all things that stood in her way. She ventured over into the Covenant's territory and caused much disruption, starting a war, causing major issues for us."

"So it speaks." I joked. He didn't seem very amused. "Do you have any lead as to where Dark Samus could be?"

"I have a general idea, but no specific location in mind."

"Will you tell me then so I don't waste my time searching?"

He sighed, walked over, and entered the site into the ship's navigation system. "You are welcome."

"You sound upset; did I do something to disturb you?"

My comment seemed to have surprised him. "No. I didn't realize I sounded that way."

"It is hard to tell how you feel when I can't see your face and you are speaking in monotone."

"Sorry."

"No need to apologize." I lifted the helmet off his head, admiring his distinguished features. "How have you been?" I handed him is helmet.

"I've been…" He paused to think about his current state.

"He has been fine." Cortana blurted out.

"It's nice to hear you again. How exactly did you manage to bring her?"

Cortana explained before he could even open his mouth. "The UNSC has offered you a job. They want you to take down Dark Samus that way she stops threatening them. We are actually babysitting you. They weren't overly fond of the thought of having a bounty hunter roaming around here."

"Babysitting? You're kidding me. He is babysitting someone that is only a year younger than him, which really doesn't count."

"Actually," He corrected. "I'm three years older than you."

"You know what, that is fine. If they want to keep a constant eye on me, let them do so; as long as I'm getting paid well." Just because I said I was all right with it, didn't mean I was.

"So…" Cortana added after a minute of silence.

I deactivated the power suit and went over to the quaint kitchen. "Do you want anything to eat?"

"Anything is okay."

"You lack in social skills more than Cortana lacks having humanity." I sighed and took out some vegetables from the small fridge. "Salad it is."

I reviled how the next half hour passed in silence. I was tempted to ask how he was again, but I figured he would answer it with the same lack of interest. Was I doing something wrong? Was there someone else? I almost laughed at the latter option. Then it struck me; he honestly does not care for me. Maybe I was just paranoid considering it has been almost a year, but it wasn't entirely outrageous to think so.

I put the knife I was using down before I had the chance to stab something. I placed my elbows on the counter and rested my head on my hands. I felt like screaming, but I didn't want to seem like I had a problem. I put the chopped vegetables in the bowl, tossed them, and then served it.

"Thank you." He mumbled.

"So this is how you stay so thin." Cortana commented. I honestly couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not.

"No, I just enjoy salad."

"How are you feeling?" The fact that John asked that almost startled me.

"I am… stressed."

"You look like it."

"Is it really that obvious?" I sighed, for I knew it was.

"Your discomfort is very present. Did I do something to disturb you?"

"Why would you think that?" I joined him, sitting less than an inch away from him. "You are a little silent, and as much as that bothers me, I just enjoy your presence."

"Cortana kept insisting that I might cause you to feel awkward."

"Well you don't," I kissed him on the cheek. "And it would be nearly impossible for you to make me feel that way."

He sat there for a moment, possibly trying to process my actions.

"That was unexpected." The 'smart' ass of an AI said.

"Exactly. What was that for?"

"I believe that this is commonly known as 'love'." Adam replied.

"Not love yet, I just like you _a lot_."

"And this emotion is triggered by what?" He looked more than a little confused.

"Y-you don't remember?"

"What are you-?"

"I believe she is referring to how she kept you from dying, causing herself to go into a coma."

"Thank you Cortana. You know what, never mind. I'm going to go take a shower; if you need me, too bad." I stood up and entered the bathroom.

**Forgive me for such a short and shitty chapter! I had to give my computer away to my oldest sister, so I am not able to get on consecutively- not to mention school. This was just a lot of dialogue for me to get used to writing in the first person perspective. Gosh, this chapter sucks! Please forgive me for that. In fact, I will start on the next chapter right now (going from John's perspective).**


	3. Chapter 3: Maybe the Feeling is Mutual

**Disclaimer: All content is owned by Nintendo, Microsoft, and 343 Industries. The only thing I own is the plot to this fan fiction!**

**Sorry for such a long wait! I have been juggling many things and writing fan fiction is not one of my priorities (unfortunately). It feels good to be back though! Luckily, it is not as if I have friends to bother me, thank goodness. Forgive me for errors with the Master Chief's thought process and sucheddy-such because I think it is borderline impossible to master the lack of emotions he has. Moreover, it is surprisingly hard to put yourself in the shoes of someone of the other gender (compared to myself) and as complex, (somehow he is… somehow). Carry on!**

I still didn't understand how I had offended her. Apparently, Samus had gained a stronger emotional attachment to me than I did to her, and not realizing that has greatly upset her. Her emotional status was too complex to comprehend, or at least I thought so. I had never contemplated it before… or not in recent enough times to remember.

A sudden thought came to mind. "How does one gain this emotion known as 'love'?"

"You don't just gain emotions, you are instinctively aware of them. Why does it matter anyways? Do you want to be affectionate in response to Samus?" Cortana sat down and crossed her legs.

She sounded too enthusiastic about my question considering her previous attitude towards the huntress. "Is it odd for me to wonder about these things?"

"This is you we are talking about."

"I believe he is interested in how she achieved her feelings, nothing more Cortana." Adam interjected, which was slightly relieving.

"If that's all," Cortana glanced at a few monitors, "Then I would like to get back to work. Will you notify Samus that we found a location that may be of interest to you? It is currently a battlefield for the two opposing force, so I would think there is something important to do."

I knocked on the door to the lavatory and did not receive a response. I figured that I would have to go in there and tell her face-to-face, which was far from an enthralling idea. I slid the door open and replaced my helmet. Seeing how I had angered her, I would end up being slapped or having something heaved at me.

The room was filled with steam, which fogged the visor, and I was thankful for that. Through my blurred vision though, I could still tell she had a fine figure being very curvaceous, a rather long scar just below her left scapula, and her hair was much longer than I assumed. I admired her for a second more before informing her.

"Sorry to interrupt you, but Cortana wanted me to notify you of a planet that might concern us."

She pulled the towel she had folded and draped over the shower door and wrapped herself in it. "Alright, thank you for the update." She sounded very calm, which was another thing I couldn't be more appreciative. "So you found somewhere to start from?"

"Yes. It is not very far from our current location. Adam is looking into another planet that is likely to be hiding something on one of its moons." Cortana informed.

She sat down and looked through the few files Cortana had on hand. They discussed various things like the best route and the easiest way to take down whatever was on the planet. I, on the other hand, drifted into my own thoughts.

I felt attached to her through some means, but not as extreme as to look at her as a plausible mate. I was not in need of the comfort of another human and certainly not someone like her. Controlling, profane, and brash are her main flaws… but she had a much larger ratio of her perfections.

I shook my head. It was unnecessarily to admire her in such a glorifying way. I hoped the slight feelings would pass as quickly as they came, but as the day winked to an end, it was hard not to want to ask questions about her. I wanted to understand her better, especially bearing in mind how lengthy this mission would be with no real strategy as how to find Dark Samus.

Samus spun around in her chair, combing through her somewhat wet hair with her fingers. "Since you were torn away from your home as a child and trained to be a soldier as childhood, I'm guessing you don't have a surname."

"Why does that matter?" How she stated the question was not exactly the most comforting thing.

"For future reference; it couldn't hurt to know more about you."

"Or could it?" Cortana blurted out in what I presume was a witty tone.

"You tell me." She sauntered next to me before sitting down on my lap. "You fight deadly creatures on a deadly basis, making enemies, creating rivals. If I learned about them, maybe I could get hurt," She wrapped her arms around my neck. "You'd keep me safe though, wouldn't you?" The tone in her voice sounded rather seductive.

"It depends on if you were endangered because you were trying to kill me."

"Now why would I do that?" She smirked before standing up.

"Anyways," I changed the subject for I was faintly uncomfortable. "Have there been any places of interest for us to take manage?"

"Actually," Adam spun on his heel. "We found three within the last eight hours."

"The skill of two AIs working together is astonishing." She complimented.

"Yes… very much so." I whispered.

"Too bad we don't have the doctor to assist us. Her mind is stunning." Cortana sighed.

"The doctor; could you be more specific?"

"I'm talking about Dr. Halsey. She has many accomplishments, such as the SPARTAN-II project, the extensive work she put into creating the perfect armor for them, having successful 'smart' AIs such as myself and Kalmiya, and various other amazing feats. Unfortunately, she is busy with other matters."

"Three is a crowd anyways."

I couldn't have said it better myself. Whilst Samus and Cortana conversed about various subjects such as the previous, I concerned myself with matters that are more important. It was hard to think with a wave of exhaustion drowning my thoughts. Eventually, I decide to postpone my thoughts for tomorrow and rest for now.

**Complete! That was easier than I thought. Maybe I'll get through writing half of the next chapter today and the other half tomorrow. Wouldn't that be great? So the action packed, kick-ass (first profane word in the chapter-new record), a lot less chatty chapter will be next, and I shall not let you down! By the way, Kalmiya is Cortana's older 'sister'. Don't forget a review!**


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